Photo Essay: Catfish and the Bottlemen Leave 9:30 Club Wanting More

British alternative-rock band Catfish and the Bottlemen performed to a sold out crowd at the 9:30 Club in D.C. on Saturday. The band is touring North America in support of their second album, The Ride, which was released in May,

The Worn Flints, a rock group hailing from Columbus, Ohio, warmed up the crowd with a high energy performance.

Walking on stage to a roaring crowd, Catfish and the Bottlemen opened with the first single the band ever released, “Homesick.” The set was a mix of songs off their first and second albums, and the crowd sang along to every word.

Between songs, lead singer Van McCann thanked D.C. for being one of the first shows on the tour to sell out. Further proving their faithfulness to the band, the crowd remained jumping up and down with hands held high from the first minute of the show to the last.

The only down-tempo moment in the set was an acoustic performance of “Homesick,” during which the crowd served as a choir, singing more than McCann.

The night ended with an eight minute long, strobe-filled performance of crowd favorite, “Tyrants.” Chants of “encore!” came from the pit as the band left the stage until the venue staff convinced the reluctant audience the show was, indeed, over.

It was clear that Catfish and the Bottlemen left the crowd craving more, and even minutes after an exceptional show, the fans were already waiting for their return.

Kenny Stiegele, singer and guitarist of The Worn Flints, performs at the 9:30 Club on Saturday Oct. 22. (Casey Tomchek/ Freelance Photographer)